Motherhood with Two Toddlers | Toddler Life | Mom Life | Must-Have Items For Toddlers

I still can’t believe I get to be a mom of these two AMAZING miracles. God is so very gracious to allow me to mother them. I have to keep this in mind in the midst of endless mess, temper tantrums, and loads of laundry. I wanted to share with you all an update on motherhood with a three year old and a one year old.

Josiah turned one back in March so this is a bit late but he is however now 15 months. Apparently he is considered a “late walker” as he refuses to walk on his own without you holding his hand. The boy can walk but ONLY if you hold one of his hands. You don’t even have to hold both hands, just one hand. The doctor said not to worry because every child walks at different times. His legs are straight and he’s right on with his development. He just needs to believe that he can walk on his own. I feel like this is something the Lord will have me share with him in the future as he learns to walk with God.

Life is BUSY! I am constantly thinking about a house project that needs to get done, getting the kids ready for school activities and THEN after-school activities. Even though my kids are young, I always keep in mind that God has already gifted and purposed them for what they should be doing. I just need to keep an eye out for what that is and steward in the right way. God will do it that I am certain. One thing I have to work on honestly is PATIENCE. It’s kinda funny because recently I asked in a instastory what area do they (moms) need the most help in and “PATIENCE” was definitely the number on thing that moms listed as the hardest thing about motherhood. I totally get it. I pray about this more and more. With two toddlers it’s become even harder, but again I have to remember that my kids are beautiful gifts from above. Still not easy, but it helps when I have the right perspective.

So here are the updates:

Olivia is hands down a SMART, VERY SMART little girl. I know all parents say that but what makes ME say that is when I’m not looking and what she is doing and saying. I watch her very closely and I’ve noticed that she watches me very closely as well. We are both similar in that. The mother-daughter connection in my opinion is SO different. I’m having to pray everyday because I know my number one goal is to introduce her to God and having a relationship with HIM! As she has gotten older I am aiming to help her understand her value and strength. She knows what she likes and doesn’t like even at THREE! That blows my mind daily. She has made me level up in every area including showing up for myself. With her watching I want to show her HOW to show up for herself and not be held back by fear or timidity.

Josiah is SUCH a boy. He talks different and interacts with us differently. He LOVES to kiss and is somewhat of a little flirt. He has his favorite person in his daycare class and YES it’s a little girl. They are two peas in pod. They really enjoy being around each other. It’s cute to watch. He’s only 15 months at this point, but I love seeing his personality shine through. He LOVES his sister. She is pretty much the only person that can make him laugh super hard. He laughs at EVERYTHING she does. She loves him too. Her favorite thing to do with him is wrestling. We’ve had to calm her down in this area due to being too rough. One day he will be able to handle himself but right now she’s a little rough with him. He’s okay and he never cries. He just laughs. He starts early childhood in the Fall at the same school as his sister and I couldn’t be more excited. Not only will they be at the same school, but our drive to pick them up will be cut in half. Josiah’s daycare is 30 minutes away from Olivia’s school in the opposite direction. Talk about tired! It’s worth it for us to have them both in amazing places that really focus on care and development.

As for us as a family, we definitely want one more child but we’re focused on getting healthy, losing weight and transitioning the kids to a place of independence. Well at least as much as they can get right now. That brings me to this….

A List Of things you NEED for Toddler Life. This list are my MUST-HAVES! They have been game changers for us. The list isn’t that long but definitely have helped us manage this whole mom of two thing.

(Just click on the photo or link to learn more!)

1. The seat covers are perfect for when you go to a public restaurant or if you just want to make sure your little one is clean while using the bathroom. Those little hands find themselves everywhere.

2. Toddler seats for the toilet. These are great because they fit with most home decor and we have two. One for the kids bathroom (upstairs) and one for the guest bathroom (downstairs). There is even a wall hook to keep it out of the way when not needed.

3. This play mat is MY favorite! It looks like a regular rug but is the consistency of a high quality play mate. Totally a favorite item!

4. Yes this is a toy. But MOST toddlers want to play with the remote. This is there VERY own remote control.

5. This high-chair is my favorite because it grows with your kid. My daughter is three and doesn’t need it anymore but we still use it as a booster seat for her. She’s still not tall enough to eat at the table in a regular chair. We got the same chair for Josiah and he’s in the high chair portion. He will soon transition to the booster chair as well.

6. This step stool is great for both the bathroom and the kitchen. Also it fits with most home decors as well.

7. Easy to clean toddler bibs. These are waterproof and SUPER easy to clean. No washer machine needed.

Little Girls Guide: Potty-Training Tips & Tricks (Stress-Free & Fun)

We are here. The day I knew was coming but tried my hardest to put off until the VERY last minute. Olivia’s early childhood teacher told me at her Parent Teacher Conferences that she must be potty trained before going into EC3, which is her 3rd year of early childhood. Honestly, we were just being lazy about it especially since after long days and her coming home from school, we just wanted to eat and relax, send the kids to bed and be done. We finally decided (well, I guess you can say we were forced) to face Potty-Training HEAD-ON! Here is our tips and tricks for Potty-Training the STRESS-FREE way:

1. Set a date on the calendar that includes 3-consecutive days that you can be with your child in the home. Prepare read, or have food and movies to make it enjoyable for all parties involved.

2. Find their favorite color panties or underwear and them decide which one they want to wear and let them put them on.

3. Make sure to have the essentials ready in your home. We recommend a potty seat cover, instead of a fake potty. This encourages and trains the kids to go to the actually potty and get use to how it works and what it looks like. We like this Potty Seat Cover because it doesn’t throw off the decor in the home (we put one in the upstairs bathroom and the downstairs bathroom).

Image from Amazon.com

We also purchased a step stool that matched the seat so their legs aren’t hanging down off the seat. My daughter will sit in peace when she is comfortable and I found that this step stool helps for not only when she washes her hands but when she is sitting on the potty.

Image from Amazon.com

4. Find some rewards for when she really gets going to encourage her to continue. Instead of giving her candy, we saved up all the toys from the kids meals when we went through the fast food drive-thru. Mostly from Chic-Fil-A because they have the best toys. After a while, I had a whole bag full of “surprises” for when she went to the Potty on her own or told mommy when she had to go “Potty”. She loved it.

5. Be patient with her, be gentle. If you’re stressed out about potty training or yelling at her because you just want her to go, just imagine how she feels. Her whole life she’s had someone take care of this for her, now she’s having to figure it out for herself and how to communicate that to those that help. She needs to see you as a safe place. This is a major transition for her and a vulnerable place as well. Take it one day, one moment at a time. She will get it. Let her know that “It’s okay” “She can do it.” “I’m right here with you.” “We can get through this together.” “Mommy is proud of you.” “You’re mommy’s big girl”.

6. Every 15-20 minutes ask her if she has to go potty. Put her on the potty every 30 minutes. Some people say every 15 minutes, but I’ve found 30 minutes works for us. If you need to do every 15 minutes, I hear that works for a lot of people as well. Just plan on this being the focus for 3-days straight. You can do it mom.

7. Make sure you have help, either from your husband/spouse, or a friend/family. Just in case there is an accident or something happens, you will have someone to not only help with the clean up process but to talk to as you go through this process with your daughter. The support is much needed and maybe even their encouragement will help as well for her to hear it from two different sources.

8. Have lots of clothes and undies ready to go because accidents will happen definitely for the first day. As the second day comes, less accidents and by the third and final day you should be on your way. Some people allow the child to walk around with no undies on, but I want my daughter to feel what its like to go so she knows that she doesn’t like that feeling and will tell me when she has gone to the potty.

9. Change your verbiage. Olivia actually taught me this. Apparently at her school they have stopped saying “potty” and now say “rest room”. She said, “it’s restroom mommy, I have to go to the restroom”. LOL. This surprised me and made me proud. But she’s right, that’s what its called and is the the big girls way of communicating. Mommy had to catch up.

10. Celebrate each time she goes. In addition to the “surprises”, we gave her a high fives and made a really big deal about how awesome she did and how proud of her she was. Yes, it gets redundant after a while but THIS will forever be planted in her mind as a good thing to do.

11. Download the app Potty Toilet Training. It has resources such as setting interval reminder, tracking what happens when she goes, stickers, games and more! Definitely helped us.

Cheers to your journey with your little girl! She will get there and you will be excited, proud and sad all in one. Your baby is growing up! Good job mom! Feel free to comment any suggestions you have for Potty Training as well!